May 15, 2014

James C. Folk, MDProfessor of Vitreoretinal Diseases and SurgeryProfessor of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Iowa Carver College of MedicineLecture Title: Infectious Uveitis

Dr. Folk's main research involves the genetics of age-related macular degeneration and is a collaboration with scientists in the Center for Macular Degeneration. His role is to review patient records and photographs to determine that patients have AMD and their clinical outcomes. These findings are compared to genetic findings to: discover new genes in AMD; correlate genotype to phenotype; determine the responses of specific genotypes to various therapies. He is also studying patients with AMD due to mutations in the fibulin genes. Dr. Folk was the principal investigator at Iowa for the Complications of AMD Trial. He is a member of the Executive Board and on the writing committee for the two main outcome papers of this study. He is the principal investigator at Iowa of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 which is a trial testing whether supplements of omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids and/or lutein with zeaxanthin slows the progression of the disease. He will also be the principal investigator at Iowa of the Complications of AMD Trial which will test Avastin and Lucentis as well as fixed dosing versus ?as needed? dosing of these drugs in the treatment of wet AMD. Dr. Folk is also collecting demographic information, medical history, blood for genetic studies, and serum for studies on inflammatory mediators in patients with posterior uveitis.